Jim Martin

Jim Martin is an active composer/arranger, trombonist, pianist and music educator in the Midwestern United States. Jim’s charts can be heard on numerous professional and big band recordings including the Rob Parton Jazz Tech Big Band, the University of WI/Milwaukee jazz ensemble, the Stan Bann Big Band, the University of TX at Austin, Art Farmer’s Big Band and many others.

Commissions have come from Rob Parton, the U.S. Airmen of Note, Univ. of WI/Milwaukee, Evanston Township HS, Lake County Community College, and numerous high school and college bands in the U.S.

Jim Martin

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All Jim Martin’s Charts

Frank Mantooth

On Friday, January 30th, 2004, Frank died suddenly in his hometown of Garden City, KS. A tremendous contributor to big band music, an amazing pianist and jazz educator and family man, Frank will be missed the world over by the jazz world and everyone he touched during his lifetime.

Frank is will be remembered as one of the foremost contemporary big band writers, and in my opinion one of only a few that developed a “signature” style.

His bio reads like a who’s who of the jazz world. Hundreds of big band charts published, jazz ed materials for beginners and advanced players. In 2002, Frank was included in Grove’s Dictionary of Jazz Musicians.

Thanks for all the memories and the great music Frank! We will miss you…

Don Ellis

Before his untimely death in 1978 at the young age of 44, Don Ellis was one of the most creative and innovative jazz musicians of all time. In a career span of less than 25 years, Don Ellis distinguished himself as a trumpeter, drummer, composer, arranger, recording artist, author, music critic and music educator.

He is best remembered for his work as a big band leader. His orchestra, which was active from 1966-78, and in varying configurations featured a string section, brass sextet and a woodwind quintet complete with
oboe and bassoon, achieved enormous appeal at a time when the taste for big band music was fading.

He won a Grammy Award for his 1972 title composition of the movie “The French Connection”, and his band received 2 Grammy nominations for their performances on “Live At Fillmore” and “Soaring”.

New rhythmic devices ultimately became the Don Ellis trademark. His
compositions frequently displayed time signatures such as 5/4, 7/4, 13/8 and 9/2. Hank Levy, composer of some of the charts offered here and one of Don’s “co-conspirators” in the time revolution, once quipped that “Yes, Don and I do write music in 4/4, we just subdivide it 5-1!” The compositions offered here are the actual charts, in standard big band instrumentation, offered by Ellis Music Enterprises in the 1970s.

Ed Palermo

Ed Palermo’s Big Band has been together since 1980 and has been playing and honing the music of Frank Zappa for close to five years, mainly in performance at the Bottom Line in New York City.

Palermo has recorded three critically-acclaimed big band albums and worked with Tito Puente for three years, Tony Bennett, Mel Torme, Lena Horne and many other musical greats. His approach was influenced by Todd Rundgren, Cannonball Adderley, Neil Young, Edgar Winter, Nelson Riddle, Charles Tolliver, Gene Ammons and “heavy-duty” Brian Wilson. His devotion to eclectic roots also includes classical composers such as Prokofiev and Shostakovich.

One of the greatest writers you’ve maybe never heard of, Ed has written over 300 charts for big band. Visit Ed’s site or Email Ed for more information on his schedule for commissions and clinics.

Trent Kynaston

Trent Kynaston is a professor of music at Western Michigan University where he teaches saxophone, jazz studies, and performs as a member of the Western Jazz Quartet, a resident faculty ensemble in the School of Music.

He is a recognized artist in both classical and jazz musics and
has performed throughout the United States, Canada, Europe, Central America, South America, and Asia.

Mr. Kynaston holds degrees from the University of Arizona in Tucson and the coveted gold Medaille d’Honeur in saxophone and chamber music from the Conservatoire National de
Musique de Bordeaux, France.

Trent has published numerous compositions, books, and articles on various aspects of music, has recorded 16 record albums/CD’s, and is recognized throughout the world for his jazz solo transcription books.

Paul Lohorn

Paul Lohorn is an active pianist, arranger, copyist and big band leader in the Chattanooga, TN area.

Paul has served as a band director in the public school system and has written numerous charts that are enjoyed by High
School, College and professional bands all across the U.S.

Ron Davis

Ron Davis is a retired Navy Band unit leader and staff arranger. Ron has worked as a music copyist for the Tower Of Power Horns and as music copyist and composer/arranger with such artists as the late great Don Ellis, Chuck Mangione, Solomon Burke, Stan Mark, Mike Vax, Frankie Laine, Lee Greenwood and Ronan Tynan.

A multi-instrumentalist, he is a bandleader and arranger for big bands, rhythm and blues horn bands and brass ensembles in the Sacramento, CA area. For more information visit Ron’s website at www.highclassbrass.com.

Ryan Cullen

Ryan Cullen is Coordinator of Jazz and Composition Studies at the River Ridge Music School where he directs the jazz ensembles and teaches composition/theory, piano, and saxophone.

His wide variety of music is currently published through Really Good Music, LLC. and RYCUN Music Company.

Ryan holds a B.M. degree from the Loyola University (New Orleans) College of Music and is currently working on his M.M. degree in Studio Jazz Writing at the University of Miami (expected completion: Spring, 2005).

Ryan Fraley

In constant demand as an emerging young composer of ensemble music, Ryan Fraley is known for his innovative works for concert band and jazz ensemble. His compositions are published by The FJH Music Company, Alfred Publications, and Les Taylor Publications, and have been featured at numerous State Conventions as well as the Midwest International Band and Orchestra Clinic in Chicago.

Fraley is a recipient of the ASCAP Plus Award, given to writers whose works receive frequent performances, or whose catalogs have a unique prestige value.

Ryan received a master’s degree in composition from The State University of New York in Potsdam, and a bachelor’s degree in music theory and composition from Ball State University in Indiana.

As a trombonist, he performs regularly with the Indianapolis Jazz Orchestra. Check out the IJO’s new CD here!

For more information on all of Ryan’s compositions for jazz and classical groups, visit www.ryanfraley.com

Ryan Fraley

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All Ryan Fraley Charts

Franck Amsallem

Franck Amsallem has been a professional pianist and composer for over 25 years. He has played many venues throughout the U.S. and Europe including the Village Gate, Knitting Factory, Birdland, Blues Alley, Pizza Express (London), Porgy and Bess (Vienna), the Pori, Molde, Nice jazz Festival and the Antibes-Juan les Pins Jazz Festival (where he shared the bill with Earth Wind and Fire).

In 2004-2005, Franck toured throughout Mexico, South America and South Africa, as well as major concerts in Croatia, the Czech republic, Armenia, Lebanon.

He has been a leader on seven recordings, all of which have received rare critical acclaim. His sideman credits have included some of the greatest names in jazz, including Gerry Mulligan, Charles Lloyd, Gary Peacock, Bobby Watson, Jerry Bergonzi, Bill Stewart, Tim Ries, Maria Schneider, Harry Belafonte, and Joe Chambers.

Frank has many of his original lead sheets and scores available for free download. Get Frank’s sheet music here and download for free.

Click here to listen to cuts from Frank’s CD, Out in a Day featuring Frank on piano, Gary Peacock on bass and Bill Stewart, drums.

Jeremy Levy

Composer, arranger, instrumentalist and educator, Jeremy Levy originally hails from Hannibal, MO. While growing up in Missouri, he quickly made a name for himself as a jazz trombonist. After graduating high school, Jeremy moved to Kansas City, MO in 1997 to pursue a music degree at the University of Missouri – Kansas City. During this time, Jeremy led a jazz quartet and performed with the Boulevard Big Band, the River City Jazz Orchestra, and the New Vintage Big Band. Most importantly, Jeremy discovered his passion for writing music while studying under jazz saxophonist Bobby Watson.

In 2001, Jeremy decided to move to Miami, FL to pursue a Master’s degree in jazz composition at the University of Miami. His music has been performed by the University of Miami Concert Jazz Band and Studio Jazz Band. Most recently, Levy was awarded three Downbeat Student Music Awards for jazz writing. His original composition, “Sus It Out,” won best extended composition and his arrangements of “Search for Peace” and “Some Far-Away Someone” received best jazz arrangement notoriety. Most recently, Levy premiered his piece “In Transit,” written for the 85-piece Henry Mancini Institute Orchestra. After participating in the Institute as a student composer, Levy relocated to Los Angeles, CA to pursue a career in film scoring/orchestration.

Scott Mertens

Scott Mertens is a pianist, educator, and composer/arranger based in
northern Illinois. Originally from Missouri, Scott has a bachelor’s degree in music education from the University of Missouri-Columbia, and he has a Master of Music degree from Northern Illinois University.

He was the director of the NIU Community School of the Arts Jazz Band, and is a summer faculty member at the NIU Jazz Camp. Scott regularly performs as a jazz pianist in the Chicago area, and is a member of the Doug Stone/Doug Bratt Big Band, a Chicago group which performs all-original big band charts.

Scott has worked extensively with middle and high school jazz bands, and is a band director in Sycamore, Illinois.

Mark Lathan

Born and raised in Chicago, Mark Lathan received his Bachelor’s degree in performance from Northern Illinois University in 1983, where he studied trumpet with Ron Modell and jazz arranging with Frank Mantooth. He has arranged and composed music in a wide variety of styles from jazz and legit to record dates and films. Nine of his jazz band compositions have been published since 1983 and he was a contributing arranger for Louis Bellson’s Sacred Concerto, which was released on the Percussion Power label in 2005.

Earning his Ph.D. in 2001 from UCLA, Lathan studied composition with Roger Bourland and Ian Krouse. While at UCLA he received the Henry Mancini Award in Film Composition and studied film scoring with Jerry Goldsmith. He counts among his compositions numerous big band charts as well as several film scores and a number of concert pieces, including two choral cantatas.

He has been commissioned to write a new work this year for the Los Angeles Flute Quartet and his Trumpet Concerto is slated for performance by Mark Baldin and the Rockford, IL Symphony in September 2007. Active in education, Lathan currently teaches at Waubonsee Community College in Sugar Grove, IL and College of DuPage in Glen Ellyn, IL. He also directs choir at Resurrection Catholic Community in Wayne, IL.